The Miami Dolphins lost their season opener 27-13 against the Las Vegas Raiders, a result that highlights the issues stemming from a complete organizational rebuild. The Dolphins faced about $183 million in dead money in their financial cap during this game, and this pressure, along with the use of young players—especially 10 starters in their first or second years in the NFL—made this loss somewhat predictable.
Young Players and Coach Performance
The young Miami defense was pressured by the experienced quarterback Kirk Cousins, and both the offensive and defensive lines performed physically weak. However, Jeff Hafley, the Dolphins' coach, expressed satisfaction with his team's effort, stating, "It's very disappointing that we lost. I can't say I walked off the field happy. But there was effort. This game could have been severely derailed by some of our mistakes, and that didn't happen."
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Strengths and Weaknesses
Malik Willis showed promising performance in his seventh start, completing 15 passes out of 27 attempts for 220 yards and one interception. Willis managed to gain 39 yards rushing against the Raiders' defensive pressure. Regarding the loss, he said, "You never want to lose a game, especially the first one, but we can't let this define our whole season."
The Miami defense struggled against the run, and second-year running back Ashton Jenty took advantage of this opportunity. However, the Dolphins saw positive performances from several rookies. Linebacker Jacob Rodriguez was active on the field, allowing only 5 yards in coverage. Safety Michael Taffe recorded an interception.
Other rookies also shone in this game, including Chris Johnson, who was present for all defensive plays and recorded 11 tackles. However, the Dolphins' offensive line struggled in both run blocking and pass protection, resulting in Willis being sacked 5 times.
The Miami Dolphins will not return to Florida this week and will instead practice in Napa, California.
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Source: abcnews.com
